J3M shares two new singles, “MOONLESS” & “SPACE AND TIME,” ahead of his upcoming EP
Toronto, ON-based singer-songwriter J3M recently unveiled his single, “MOONLESS,” a woefully romantic track that blends synth-pop, mid-80s R&B, and 90s boy bands with a signature touch.
Now, he’s back with a second single, “SPACE AND TIME.” Both singles are from his upcoming AFRONAUT EP on August 5, 2022.
AFRONAUT is a space-themed concept album that takes the listener through each stage of a failed relationship and the love for oneself that is found through the grieving process, as told through the perspective of its protagonist AFRONAUT, and a bond with his lover, the Alien.
“SPACE AND TIME is AFRONAUT deciding that maybe both he and The Alien need to take a step back from the situation. After all, it takes two people to create a conflict in the first place. Though it’s easy to pick sides in any dispute, sometimes we must agree to disagree,” J3M says of this chapter in the story. “Flying back to earth in his ship alone, AFRONAUT realizes that self love is the most important kind of love. And that love in action, is showing up for himself and asking for what he needs.”
Listen to both “MOONLESS” and “SPACE AND TIME” below, and find out more about J3M via his socials.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Yes! Hey everyone! My name is J3M, and I’m a singer/songwriter born in Ottawa but living in Toronto for over ten years. I tour, teach and write/produce songs about finding, losing, and being in love.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
My most recent release MOONLESS is about the anxiety and nerves that can come up when strong feelings for a lover begin to develop. Using the lack of the stars and moon as an analogy, MOONLESS talks about how fear can cause people to run away and leave others in the dark without an explanation. This song is just one chapter in the Saga of my alias, AFRONAUT, the queer space explorer!
Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?
It’s such a mixed bag. White noise. When I was a dishwasher, when I’m on the subway, I zone out and get pretty inspired, as weird as that may sound. I take a lot of inspiration from black artists of the ’90s, ’80s, and ’70s (Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston, Lenny Kravitz, Anita Baker, Donna Summer, Cheryl Lynn) and more recent artists (John Legend, Adele, The Weeknd, Dua Lipa, and Kylie Minogue). Also, personal experiences around love. Stories I hear from friends. I almost always write about my love life or stories I have heard from others.
Do you have any upcoming shows or festivals you’d like to tell us about?
I will be having a double headlining show with WILD BLACK on August 6th at the Baby G! I will also be performing in Providence Bay, Manitoulin Island on the 8th of July (ft. Shannon Dooks) and the 15th (in Zaki Ibrahim’s band). I will also be performing in WILD BLACK’s band for Long Day’s Night in Swift Current, SK, for Saskatoon Pride, and in Zaki Ibrahim’s band for Regina Pride.
What are your goals for 2022?
My goal for 2022 is to get more sync placements for my music, go to the pool more often and book a gig overseas before the end of the year!